The Pirate's Gold by Gordon Stables

"‘Now haste, my men, and launch the boat, / Our pursuers are at hand; / Once on our bark we'll safety have, / But there's danger on the land. " / "A wet sheet and a flowing sea, / A wind that follows fast, / And fills the white and rustling sail, / And bends the gallant mast. "

Now, having been granted leave by the proprietors of the land to excavate and to carry away curios, we knew well that no state would give permission to any swift yacht to follow and capture us; still we well knew what enterprising men there are in the Southern states, and how quickly a vessel of exceeding swiftness could be hired for any private adventure.

I for one, therefore, was not a bit surprised next morning at sunrise when told by Miguel that a small, wicked-looking, black steamer was bearing down on us, and coming up with us indeed, hand over hand.

"She'll overhaul us in a couple of hours," he said.

I dressed quickly and went on deck. Captain Reeves was already there, and all eyes were turned astern.

"The fact is," he said, in answer to a question put by me, "we are short of coals, and the mate, thinking all was perfectly safe, had banked fires, and was dodging on under sail with the little bit of wind there was. Fires are only just stirred up, but that little fiend has the weather-gage on us."

"It's a private venture? " I said inquiringly.

"A private venture! " cried the mate angrily; "it is more -- it is a piratical adventure, and I for one would counsel resistance to the last. So sorry the fault is mine. Well, we have two six-pounders. I'll take the fault. I'm a good shot, and blame me more than ever if I don't make her trip over the wreck of her own rigging."

So the guns were loaded with ball and run aft all ready.

On came the black one; on went we. We had bags of lard and even a fat ham or two to pop into the fire when we wanted to fly.

By ten o'clock the enemy was near enough to hail us through the speaking-trumpet.

"Lie to at once, or we'll grapple and board you. Don't want any loss of life; but we are five-and-twenty strong, and each man has a revolver."

The answer went from the speaking-trumpet of bold Captain Reeves, --

"If you come three fathoms nearer, we'll astonish your weak nerves; we shall treat you as pirates, and sink you."

There was simply an ironical cheer by way of reply.

"Get the fat in the fire now," shouted Reeves to the engineer. "Get all pressure of steam up, anyhow. Now, mate."

The first gun was run out and fired.

Brr -- rr -- rang!

Hardly had the smoke cleared away ere we could notice the consternation on board the black one.

The funnel was a wreck.